Many Waldorf resources suggest that moving pictures are beneficial to
small children. The Children’s Year suggests watercoloring a water
scene and then adding the figures of ducks and fish, either attaching
with a paper fastener or using a tongue depressor as a “tab.” You
could also draw or paint an elephant, and make the trunk the movable
part of the picture. The possibilities are really endless- little
bunnies with flopping ears, a sky with flying birds, a garden scene
with a flying bee.

A wonderful gift would be a card with moving figures. Maybe today you
could make a few to tuck away until needed!

“Thumb in the thumb place,
Fingers all together.
This is tthe song we
Sing in mitten weather!”

Today we did a just-for-fun winter craft.
We cut two kid-sized mitten shapes from construction paper and connected
them with yarn.
Then, the little ones had access to a whole range of collage materials
and had fun decorating their mittens.

I’ve been feeling the need to do something crafty, but with newborn twins and all, it’s difficult to find projects that are easily picked up and put back down. I’m a knitting drop-out but I remembered I wanted to try my hand at crochet. I found some You Tube videos and am ready to start some beginner projects.

Wish me luck! What are you making this week?

This morning the older kids all made a gift for Daniel, who is obsessed with football. First, we peeled and broke up little bits of crayons, being careful to keep crayons in the same color family. We used a silicone football mold, but any mold or muffin tin would do. Spray with cooking spray first!
We turned the oven to 275 degrees and baked the crayons until they melted, about 10 minutes.
We put them into the freezer to cool them down. We didn’t quite wait long enough–the red and pink crayon got a little boogered up– but we just couldn’t wait to pop them out!
Daniel loved them!

If I do say so myself.

While working on the Advent book- and it’s almost done! YAY!- I suddenly had a brainflash about my dirty beeswax crayons. Complete non sequitor, I know. This is the way my brain works.

Anyway…

I thought to myself, if Goo Gone works to remove crayons from the tables, walls, other toys, and whatever else my toddler decides will make a good substitute for paper, maybe it would work to clean up my grungy crayons.  Read more...